Island of the Blue Dolphins (film)

Last updated
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Island of the Blue Dolphins poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by James B. Clark
Screenplay byJane Klove
Ted Sherdeman
Based on Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
Produced by Robert B. Radnitz
Starring Celia Kaye
Larry Domasin
Ann Daniel
Carlos Romero
George Kennedy
Hal John Norman
Cinematography Leo Tover
Edited by Ted J. Kent
Music by Paul Sawtell
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • July 3, 1964 (1964-07-03)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Island of the Blue Dolphins is a 1964 American adventure film directed by James B. Clark and written by Jane Klove and Ted Sherdeman. It is based on the 1960 novel Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. The film stars Celia Kaye, Larry Domasin, Ann Daniel, Carlos Romero, George Kennedy and Hal John Norman. [1] [2] [3] The film was released on July 3, 1964, by Universal Pictures.

Contents

The producer and director had previously collaborated on A Dog of Flanders and Misty . [4]

The film was shot in Gualala, California. [5]

Plot

In 1835, a ship crewed by Russian fur hunters and Aleuts come to an island off the coast of Southern California to hunt sea otters. They make a deal with the Nicoleño people living in the village of Ghalas-at for permission to hunt on their lands, but later try to leave without paying. The hunters are then confronted by the village chief and respond with violence. In the ensuing skirmish most of the Nicoleños are slain, forcing the survivors to flee the island. Young Karana, realizing that her 6-year-old brother, Ramo, has been left behind, returns to the island. Karana and Ramo are left alone, menaced by a pack of wild dogs. The most ferocious of the dogs kills Ramo, and Karana teaches herself archery and hunts the dog. She puts an arrow in its chest but then takes pity on the animal and nurses it back to health.

She and the dog, whom she names Rontu, become fast friends. When another group of hunters come to the island, Karana hides, and although Tutok, a girl in the group, finds her and tries to befriend her, Karana refuses to trust anyone. Years pass, and Rontu dies of age. Karana finds a wild dog, that looks like Rontu, and names him Rontu-Aru which means son of Rontu. Later, a boat carrying a missionary arrives, and this time Karana decides to trust the strangers. Taking her animals, Rontu-Aru and some wild birds she has taught to never leave her, she leaves the island.

Cast

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleuts</span> Indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands

Aleuts are the Indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleuts and the islands are politically divided between the US state of Alaska and the Russian administrative division of Kamchatka Krai. This group is also known as the Unangax̂ in Unangam Tunuu, the Aleut language. There are 13 federally recognized Aleut tribes in the Aleut Region of Alaska. In 2000, Aleuts in Russia were recognized by government decree as a small-numbered Indigenous people.

Slapstick films are comedy films using slapstick humor, a physical comedy that includes pratfalls, tripping, falling, practical jokes, and mistakes are highlighted over dialogue, plot and character development. The physical comedy in these films contains a cartoonish style of violence that is predominantly harmless and goofy in tone.

Scott O'Dell was an American writer of 26 novels for young people, along with three novels for adults and four nonfiction books. He wrote historical fiction, primarily, including several children's novels about historical California and Mexico. For his contribution as a children's writer he received the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1972, the highest recognition available to creators of children's books. He received The University of Southern Mississippi Medallion in 1976 and the Catholic Libraries Association Regina Medal in 1978.

<i>Island of the Blue Dolphins</i> 1960 childrens book by Scott ODell

Island of the Blue Dolphins is a 1960 children's novel by American writer Scott O'Dell, which tells the story of a girl named Karana, who is stranded alone for years on an island off the California coast. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, a Nicoleño Native American left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island during the 19th century.

<i>Age of Consent</i> (film) 1969 film

Age of Consent is a 1969 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Powell. The film stars James Mason, Helen Mirren in her first major film role, and Jack MacGowran, and features actress Neva Carr Glyn. The screenplay by Peter Yeldham was adapted from the 1938 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Norman Lindsay, who died the year this film was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prehistory of Alaska</span>

Prehistoric Alaska begins with Paleolithic people moving into northwestern North America sometime between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago across the Bering Land Bridge in western Alaska; a date less than 20,000 years ago is most likely. They found their passage blocked by a huge sheet of ice until a temporary recession in the Wisconsin glaciation opened up an ice-free corridor through northwestern Canada, possibly allowing bands to fan out throughout the rest of the continent. Eventually, Alaska became populated by the Inuit and a variety of Native American groups. Trade with both Asia and southern tribes was active even before the advent of Europeans.

<i>Zia</i> (novel) Novel by Scott ODell

Zia is the sequel to the award-winning Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. It was published in 1976, sixteen years after the publication of the first novel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juana Maria</span> Native American

Juana Maria, better known to history as the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island, was a Native Californian woman who was the last surviving member of her tribe, the Nicoleño. She lived alone on San Nicolas Island off the coast of Alta California from 1835 until her removal from the island in 1853. Scott O'Dell's award-winning children's novel Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960) was inspired by her story. She was the last native speaker of the Nicoleño language.

<i>Seekers</i> (novel series) Book series by Erin Hunter

Seekers is a novel series written by Tui T. Sutherland and Cherith Baldry under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, who also wrote the Warriors series. Seekers follows the adventures of four bear cubs: Kallik, Lusa, Ujurak, and Toklo. Led by Ujurak, the four bears search for a place where they can live in peace without human interference and harassment. The first book of the first series, The Quest Begins, was released on 27 May 2008 and was followed by five other books, ending with the last book of the first series, Spirits in the Stars, which was released on 8 February 2011. A second series of novels subtitled Return to the Wild, also six books in length, began publication with Island of Shadows, released on 7 February 2012. The series has been well received, with critics praising the realistic behavior of the characters, the world building, and the book's themes surrounding environmentalism.

<i>Clifford the Big Red Dog</i> (2000 TV series) Animated television series or program

Clifford the Big Red Dog is a preschool animated educational children's television series, based upon Norman Bridwell's children's book series of the same name. Produced by Scholastic Productions, it originally aired on PBS Kids from September 4, 2000, to February 25, 2003. A UK version originally aired on BBC Two in April 2002.

<i>The Incredible Journey</i> (film) 1963 film by Fletcher Markle

The Incredible Journey is a 1963 Canadian-American adventure film directed by Fletcher Markle and produced by Walt Disney Productions. Based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Scottish writer Sheila Burnford, the film follows the adventure of Luath the Labrador Retriever, Bodger the Bull Terrier, and Tao the Siamese cat as they journey 300 miles (480 km) through the Canadian wilderness to return to their home. The film's human cast consists of Émile Genest, John Drainie, Tommy Tweed, and Sandra Scott, with Rex Allen providing narration.

<i>Call of the Yukon</i> 1938 film by B. Reeves Eason

Call of the Yukon is a 1938 American action adventure film produced and released by Republic Pictures, directed by John T. Coyle and B. Reeves Eason and starring Richard Arlen, Beverly Roberts and Lyle Talbot. The film features extensive Alaskan location shooting by Norman Dawn who shot several films there. The film is based on the 1926 novel Swift Lightning A Story Of Wildlife Adventure In The Frozen North by Northern genre writer James Oliver Curwood. The film's working titles were Thunder in Alaska and Swift Lightning.

<i>Wild Seed</i> (film) 1965 film by Brian G. Hutton

Wild Seed is a 1965 American drama romance film directed by Brian G. Hutton and starring Michael Parks and Celia Kaye. The film was shot in black and white.

James B. Clark Jr. was an American film director, film editor, and television director. His career as a film editor began in 1937, and he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing in 1941 for How Green Was My Valley. He continued to work as a film editor until 1960, but in 1955 also began a career as a film and television director. He tended to focus on works involving people's relationships with animals. Among the more popular and notable projects he directed were the films A Dog of Flanders (1959), The Sad Horse (1959), Misty (1961), Flipper (1963), Island of the Blue Dolphins (1964), and My Side of the Mountain (1969), and episodes of the television series My Friend Flicka (1955–1956), Batman (1966–1967), and Lassie (1969–1971).

<i>The Twilight People</i> 1972 Filipino-American horror film

The Twilight People is a 1972 Filipino-American horror film directed by Eddie Romero. It was produced by Romero and John Ashley, and written by Romero and Jerome Small. It stars Ashley and features, in an early film appearance, Pam Grier in a supporting role.

<i>Underdog</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Oh Sung-yoon and Lee Chun-baek

Underdog is a 2018 South Korean animated film about the story of abandoned dogs. The film is directed by Lee Chun-baek and Oh Sung-yoon and stars Doh Kyung-soo, Park So-dam and Park Chul-min. It was released in theaters on January 16, 2019.

Lydia was a US merchant ship that sailed on maritime fur trading ventures in the early 1800s. In December 1813 it was sold to the Russian–American Company and renamed Il'mena, also spelled Ilmena and Il'men'. As both Lydia and Il'mena it was involved in notable events. Today it is best known for its role in an 1814 massacre of the Nicoleño natives of San Nicolas Island, which ultimately resulted in one Nicoleño woman, known as Juana Maria, living alone on the island for many years. These events became the basis for Scott O'Dell's 1960 children's novel Island of the Blue Dolphins and the 1964 film adaptation Island of the Blue Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celia Kaye</span> American actress

Celia Kaye is an American actress. She is most famous for her starring role in the 1964 film adaptation of Island of the Blue Dolphins which won her a Golden Globe award.

References

  1. "Island of the Blue Dolphins (1964) – Overview". TCM.com . Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  2. Howard Thompson (July 4, 1964). "Movie Review – Island of the Blue Dolphins – Island of Blue Dolphins' Has Premiere". The New York Times . Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  3. "Island of the Blue Dolphins". American Film Institute . Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  4. Howard Thompson (August 25, 1963). "On the Manhattan Screen Scene". The New York Times. ProQuest   116416204.
  5. Harold Mendelssohn (November 17, 1963). "'Dolphins' Log". The New York Times. ProQuest   116617700.